NBC was the top rated network in adults 18-49 while ABC was number one in total viewers.

On FOX, the series finale of House garnered a 2.9 adults 18-49 rating, (in line with what most of you predicted) up from last week's 2.2 rating for the series' penultimate episode. This marks the best ratings for the series since January. The retrospective that preceded it earned a 2.0 adults 18-49 rating.

CBS was all repeats until 10PM, when they aired an hour-long special, Clash of the Commercials: USA vs. The World, which earned a 1.4 adults 18-49 rating.

On NBC, America's Got Talent earned a 3.1 rating, down considerably from the 3.7 adults 18-49 rating it received last week. The series premiere of American Ninja Warrior on the network scored a 2.4 among adults 18-49.

On ABC, Dancing With the Stars earned a 2.8 rating, up two-tenths from last week's 2.6 adults 18-49 rating. The Bachelorette earned a 2.4, down two tenths from last week's 2.6 rating.

The CW was all repeats for the evening.

Late-night results are below the primetime data.

Broadcast primetime ratings for Monday, May 21 2012:

Time

Net

Show

18-49 Rating

18-49 Share

Viewers Live+SD (million)

8:00PM

NBC

America's Got Talent

3.1

9

9.534

ABC

Dancing With the Stars

2.8

8

16.451

FOX

House Retrospective

2.0

6

6.100

CBS

How I Met Your Mother -R

1.3

4

4.084

CW

One Tree Hill -R

0.3

1

0.602

tvbythenumbers.com

9:30 PM

CBS

2 Broke Girls -R

1.6

4

4.649

tvbythenumbers.com

9:00PM

FOX

House (Series Finale)

2.9

7

8.700

ABC

The Bachelorette (9-11 PM)

2.4

6

7.725

NBC

American Ninja Warrior (9-11 PM)

2.4

6

6.081

CBS

Two And A Half Men -R

2.0

5

7.182

CW

One Tree Hill -R

0.2

1

0.524

tvbythenumbers.com

9:30PM

CBS

Mike & Molly -R

1.7

4

6.382

tvbythenumbers.com

10:00PM

CBS

Clash of the Commercials: USA vs. The World

1.4

4

5.979

-
via NBC press notes:

In Late-Night Metered Markets Monday night:

In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 2.7/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.1/5; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.0/7; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.6/5.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.4/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.1/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49 with an encore) topped "Late Late Show" (0.3/2).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/4 in metered-market households and a 0.3/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

-
NOTE: All national ratings are "live plus same day" from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise indicated.

Fast Affiliate Ratings: These first national ratings, including demographics, are available at approximately 11 AM (ET) the day after telecast, and are released to subscribing customers daily. These data, from the National People Meter sample, are strictly time-period information, based on the normal broadcast network feed, and include all programming on the affiliated stations, sometimes including network programming, sometimes not. The figures may include stations that did not air the entire network feed, as well as local news breaks or cutaways for local coverage or other programming. Fast Affiliate ratings are not as useful for live programs and are likely to differ significantly from the final results, because the data reflect normal broadcast feed patterns. For example, with a World Series game, Fast Affiliate Ratings would include whatever aired from 8-11PM on affiliates in the Pacific Time Zone, following the live football game, but not game coverage that begins at 5PM PT. The same would be true of Presidential debates as well as live award shows and breaking news reports.Rating: Estimated percentage of the universe of TV households (or other specified group) tuned to a program in the average minute. Ratings are expressed as a percent.

Share (of Audience): The percent of households (or persons) using television who are tuned to a specific program, station or network in a specific area at a specific time. (See also, Rating, which represents tuning or viewing as a percent of the entire population being measured.)

Time Shifted Viewing – Program ratings for national sources are produced in three streams of data – Live, Live+Same Day (Live+SD) and Live+7 Day. Time shifted figures account for incremental viewing that takes place with DVRs. Live+Same Day (Live+SD) include viewing during the same broadcast day as the original telecast, with a cut-off of 3:00AM local time when meters transmit daily viewing to Nielsen for processing. Live+7 Day ratings include incremental viewing that takes place during the 7 days following a telecast.

House’s finale did really bad. The world was watching the series premiere of Carrossel last night.

psychic

The ending for House was ok. Not fantastic, not bad, just ok. It seemed more like a fitting season than series finale, though…

MattM

House finale was amazing, they did a great job imo. Going to miss it.

Hamza

I think the House finale is going to have much higher DVR than the January episode.
Many people may not have watched it live, but would certainly have DVR it to watch the series end.

mArS

2.9

forg

Bye House! Kinda a little sad this and DH didn’t end that big considering how big they were back in the day

Tabitha

AGT has been horrible so far.

Don

Crappy numbers for House. I expected much more for its series finale

DeeAgeaux

I wish it ended last year romantically not this year as a bromance.

John A

Whats the point of airing OTH repeats?

MoHasanie

The finale was 1 tenth above what I originally predicted. But only 8.7 million… I thought at least the 10 million that watched the season premiere would come back for the finale. Its still a large increase from the penultimate episode, but nothing special considering the competition was so less.

I thought a 2.6 so a bit better is great. It was an ok ending, but no Cuddy at all made it seem a lame finale. Heck even the dead characters had cameos. Big fail on the producers part on the Lisa Edelstein handling. Good show I will miss and a good run as a whole.

Networkman

I guessed that House would garner close to 9 million viewers. At least it won its hour. Next year around this time we may be watching the series finale of Bones.

Tested

Great ending for House. Strong ratings too. Really going to miss that show. Fox’s fall looks like a dud too.

jamie

AGT needs Piers Morgan back. They have essentially 3 judges trying to see who can be nicest to the contestants. Piers was never worried about being nice to the contestants.